Welding Tips and Tricks

djrockytharp wrote:Depends on where you're at. We have tons of pipe welder/fitter work down here in Houston. Its not on the pipeline but its been pretty steady lately. Oil and Gas will have a use for you when you can't stand working the line anymore.

Who are these hiring and what plant ? I am near I've worked Houston Texas city area . And I am a fitter

I know if you go right now to airproducts.com website there is a position listed for Houston/LePorte for a welder. This job is mostly traveling to the work if that's your thing. It's ASME code welding.

Len

I think all of construction is Boom or Bust. I think of all the overtime and money I made back in the 1990's, and I think of how BROKE I am today and I just kick myself for not saving more. But! Like I tell the students, if I was smart, I wouldn't have been an ironworker. Sigh.

I am going back to school for my pipe welding certificate and graduated last December with my structural welding certificate from STC in Linn, MO. I thought the school did a really good job at teaching me everything and they actually go in depth into a lot of what they teach. I know this next semester they're going to be teaching about what happens to the properties of the metal and all that.

I do have a question about pipe welding though. How do you get on the pipelines? Where do you look for job openings or is it just a "you have to know a guy" type deal?

Thanks!

-Austin

Right now the boom is on for the 6G guys. Any type of pipe welder is going to make top $$$. I see lots of guys in this area (South Bend, IN), making a good living welding TIG, aluminum and stainless. Structural welders are making good money. Being great at fit up, layout and running a crew paid my bills for years. Learn as much as you can, and keep in mind that you need to be a pipe FITTER and not a pipe WELDER. There is a difference!

what is the difference?

Austin,
Check the active topic list and read the post asking about laying out legs on a BBQ pit and you'll get an idea of what Boomers talking about. Being able to lay out and fit up a pipe install is as good as three good welders to the company who's paying the bill. Plus a good fitter can make a welders life a dream and a bad one can make you want to quit. I'll take two fitters who are decent welders over a dozen of the best welders any day.

Len

Braehill wrote:Austin,
Check the active topic list and read the post asking about laying out legs on a BBQ pit and you'll get an idea of what Boomers talking about. Being able to lay out and fit up a pipe install is as good as three good welders to the company who's paying the bill. Plus a good fitter can make a welders life a dream and a bad one can make you want to quit. I'll take two fitters who are decent welders over a dozen of the best welders any day.

Len

Said it better than I ever could. As a lay out man or fit up guy I keep my welders jumping. The right man in a fit up/layout position in a shop can make sure that the welders are never idle and are arcing the entire day. For field fit up, if done right ... well ... I don't need to comment on that! We all have had to fill in the big gaps - or have had to re-cut the joint.

Thank you Len!